Today, the web is witnessing some of the boldest experiments happening in the world of entertainment. While the web giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime are busy taking the fight to the major Hollywood studios, the indie filmmakers too are trying hard to tap the potential of the medium. There was a time when the filmmaking was limited to the elitist of the elite. Only those who had the means and the knowhow could think of making movies. For the others it was merely meant to be a world of dreams. But that’s no longer the case, for a democratization of sorts has taken place thanks to the advent of YouTube that has made it possible for one and all to showcase their talent to the whole world.

YouTube has allowed young talent to come ahead and challenge the monopoly and change the world of entertainment forever. Some of the best examples that come to mind are All India Bakchod (AIB) and The Viral Fever (TVF). But, on the flip side, this has led to an overload of content. There are so many options to choose from that we often miss out on some of the best content. As someone who takes a keen interest in the web, I often come across interesting content that deserves more attention than it appears to be getting. ‘The School Diary’ is one such web series that recently caught my attention. As the title suggests, the series is about school life, friendship, and nostalgia—everything that all adults can relate to.

Written and directed by Yatharth Agnihotri, The School Diary is a nostalgic journey back in time to the golden days of our life. School is a place where we experience the ups and downs of life for the first time very. We develop infatuations, bunk classes, steal tiffin boxes, fight with other students and end up getting scolded for our mischievous behavior. The web series captures the pulse of these little but significant moments of our life really well. A few things struck me while watching the episodes of the web series: interesting camera work (camera positioning/angles, etc), clever editing (jump cuts, etc.), and a unique narrative style (voiceovers, etc.). There is also a very interesting use of animation that adds another flavor to the entire experience.

Often, one of the biggest issues with any web series is the acting department. The performers usually tend to overact. Sometimes young theatre actors who are cast fail to understand the nuances of acting in front of a motion picture camera which tends to exaggerate almost everything. The School Diary, surprisingly, has well measured performances all around. Yudhveer Rao is undoubtedly the star of the show here. His convincing performance is the heart and soul of the series. And he gets good support from the rest of the cast. Also, the production quality is commendable given the scope of the project. So, like me, if you too miss your school days then here is a series just for you.